One of the biggest challenges in farm simulation games like Story of Seasons can be tool management. Littlewood acknowledges these struggles and uses an auto-select mechanic to make switching between tools during a day's chores less of a hassle. The removal of a quick-select bar from tool management creates seamless gameplay, speeding up work and removing the risk of accidentally smashing crops with a hammer or knocking loose a decoration with a pickaxe.
Juggling tools has been a part of virtual farm life for many decades. From the early Harvest Moon games to Stardew Valley and Story of Seasons, the hot-bar was used to rotate between axes, hoes, fishing rods, and hammers. Littlewood's auto-select feature does the toggle automatically. When interacting with a rock the pickaxe equips, and when a tree needs to be chopped, the axe is ready at the push of a button. This streamline allows fast movement, especially in areas like the Dust Caverns and Endless Forest.
The change in tool selection is important for farming simulation games like Littlewood because it saves time. One of the primary challenges of these games is time management, and switching back and forth between tools can put a surprising dent in the amount of time it takes to finish a task. Auto-select eliminates the seconds wasted, allowing them to be spent exploring, decorating, or communicating with townsfolk instead, making the overall game experience more rewarding.
Littlewood's Auto-Select Could Change Future Farming Game Mechanics
The newest game in the Harvest Moon series, Harvest Moon: One World has also added the auto-select feature as part of its gameplay. If an area is covered with grass, rocks, and trees, clearing can be done much more quickly and effectively. It is possible future farming simulation games from Story of Seasons, or even the developer of Stardew Valley, may choose to incorporate the auto-select mechanic as well. In games similar to Stardew Valley, it could greatly speed up the process of clearing out farmable space or make interacting with objects a more seamless and immersive experience.
The farming simulation genre has stayed largely the same throughout past decades. Mechanics have repeated through titles with few improvements despite the need for changes. Littlewood has potentially opened the door for other farming games to think creatively on how old mechanics could be improved to create better gameplay for modern farming sim gamers. Littlewood encourages exploration over tedious tasks, and many other titles could benefit from switching the focus as well, making gameplay more satisfying and fulfilling for everyone.